Drive-By Ceremony Planned For Memorial Day In Arlington Heights

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL — Though the traditional Memorial Day parade has been canceled for the second straight year, the Village of Arlington Heights has found three other ways to commemorate the holiday.

Greg Padovani, a former trustee on the Arlington Heights Village Board, returned to the government body Monday night to announce plans for May 31. The chairman of the Veterans Memorial Committee of Arlington Heights said the parade and outdoor ceremony typically held annually had to be canceled once again due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Padovani announced three ways in which Memorial Day is being observed this year:

1. More than 2,000 "Arlington Remember" signs have already been distributed throughout Arlington Heights. Padovani said the committee is asking residents to place them in their windows. The backside of the signs includes the names of the 58 men from Arlington Heights who died serving the United States in battle from the Civil War through the War in Afghanistan. He said this year marks the 102nd Memorial Day observation in Arlington Heights. "These signs are seen around town by the families of the fallen heroes," Padovani said. "They're still here and it means so much to them." Signs can be found at the Arlington Heights Memorial Library, at Village Hall and at the Arlington Heights Park District Ridge Center.
2. Like in 2020, a pre-recorded Memorial Day ceremony was recently produced. Padovani said it will be broadcast starting next week on the Village's cable-TV channels, YouTube and the Veterans Memorial Committee of Arlington Heights website. As part of the ceremony, he said 127 veterans who died in the last year from Arlington Heights will also be honored.
3. Residents are invited to take part in a drive-by ceremony from 9 a.m.-11 a.m. Memorial Day, May 31, at Memorial Park. Mayor Tom Hayes, Padovani and a number of other people will be there to salute cars as they go by. Commemorative wreaths for the 58 deceased will be placed along the route on the curb for a "moving site" to remember the fallen.

"The virtual ceremony turned out well last year. I know it will turn out well this year, but it's just not the same being there in person, so we can only hope to be back to normal by this time next year and in person to really more appropriately recognize our fallen heroes, those who lost their lives in the last year and all our veterans and their families for their service and sacrifices," Hayes said.

Related: Memorial Day Parade Canceled In Arlington Heights

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